IE News Magazine

Since the last issue of International Epilepsy News, it’s been a busy time for IBE. The biggest event was the 33rd International Epilepsy Congress in Bangkok. For IBE, a highlight of the congress was the Golden Light Awards, which was a major success. One of the eight wonderful young people who received an award, Scarlett Paige, shares her diary post-Bangkok in this issue. Also in Bangkok, the Global Epilepsy Report was launched during a lively symposium where enthusiasm for and appreciation of the report was clear to see. The full report and a summary are available to download on the IBE website www.ibe-epilepsy.org. In Europe, a major issue has been approval by the European Medicines Agency of cannabis projects as an adjunct treatment in two rare epilepsy syndromes and the ePAG group invites you to get involved. A word of warning on the problems that the use of essential oils can cause is brought to us by Dr Thomas Mathew from India, where such products are very widely used. Find out about recent initiatives of Epilepsy South Africa and also enjoy reading news from Bolivia, Spain, Australia and Ireland. Happy reading! Ann Little Editor   Download the Newsletter

This latest issue of International Epilepsy News brings you a detailed report of the Strategic Review meeting that took place in London in January. With participants including members of the International Executive Committee and stakeholders from every IBE region, this successful meeting now provides a clear pathway for the future. One of the main issues discussed in London was the need to identify IBE’s future leaders and the importance of focusing on young people in this task. The International Golden Light Awards, which will be presented for the first time at the congress in Bangkok in June, recognises and applauds eight young people who have not led epilepsy prevent them from attaining their goals. You can meet them in this issue. We also bring you the results of the recent IBE elections to fill the seven Regional Vice President positions for the next four years. The successful candidates will begin their four year term at the time of the General Assembly in Bangkok.   Also in this issue we share with you news of the IBE President’s visit to Chile; a major investment that the Australian government has promised to epilepsy; a report from Japan and an unusual jazz restaurant; as [...]

If one of the goals of the IBE is to allow the voices of people with epilepsy to be heard, then we have certainly delivered in this issue of the magazine. Our cover features a photo of Zhang Chensu, a young woman from China who experienced her first seizures when on Chinese New Year holidays on the tropical island of Hainan. The young Scottish videographer, Fraser Morton, tells us how the death of his brother from SUDEP was the inspiration for his experimental online magazine, A Life Electric, that provides the platform for people with epilepsy around the world to tell their stories. IBE’s International Golden Light Awards, to be presented for the first time at 33rd International Epilepsy Congress in Bangkok, will see young people recognised for making a difference, while the Personal Stories category of the video competition for this year’s International Epilepsy Day are truly remarkable. Find the winners on page 18 and access the link to watch them all. We also bring news of those selected to receive the Lifetime Achievement, Social Accomplishment and Ambassador for Epilepsy Awards in Bangkok and there’s lots more to read in this issue of IE News. As always, I wish you [...]

Although never intended, this issue could well be considered a ‘Women’s Special’ because it contains the personal stories of a number of wonderful women who did not allow a diagnosis of epilepsy to hold them back. As Youssouf Noormamode puts it so well in his story from Rodrigues Island, Mauritius, it simply requires them to do it differently. In the Mauritius story we meet two women who have achieved in their chosen fields; our follow up report on the Golden Light Award from Bali introduces two young women from Taiwan and China; while Edmund Cheong Henh Yew from Malaysia writes about his hero mother. The issue could also be considered an African Special because of the number of articles focussed on the region. Or, yet again, an EpilepsyNext Special, because we report on events organised with young adults in mind. We also bring you news of a video competition to celebrate International Epilepsy Day 2019 - we encourage everyone to take part! Finally, on a sad note, we bring news of Augustine Mugarura’s untimely death. Many in IBE will remember him with great fondness and be saddened at his passing. Despite this final sad note, I wish you pleasant reading. Ann [...]

This latest issue of IE News features news from the 12th Asian & Oceanian Epilepsy Congress, which took place in Bali in May. In particular, we focus on the Epilepsy & Society symposium, whose programme was specially designed with a non-scientific audience in mind. Janet Mifsud writes about the importance of the patient voice in research and the need to involve the patient from the start of any new research, in a paper that was first published in Epilepsy & Behavior. Also with the layperson in mind, an important new paper has been published on the new classifications of seizures. We include a taster in this magazine, while the full paper can be found on the IBE website. We include a report on the epiXchange workshop held in Brussels in May, which brought together investigators from seven EU-funded projects; some good news from Iran and Ecuador; a report from Lebanon; as well as news from the World Health Assembly and the three-year report back on the WHA Resolution on Epilepsy. On a sad note, we mark the passing of Robert Cole, who served as Vice President Western Pacific Region for the term 2013-2017, who died in March. He will be greatly [...]

CONTENTS WINNING PHOTOS - International Epilepsy Day Competition GLOBAL CELEBRATION -  International Epilepsy Day social media EMA REPORT - Recommended changes to use of valproate PARLIAMENT SUPPORT - European MEP group grows MEET JANICE - Ms Canada shares her take on how to deal with epilepsy CELEBRATION - 3 Chapters celebrate milestones BALI CONGRESS AWARDS - Young people with epilepsy to be recognised EpiCARE Reference Network - Annual meeting takes place in London       Download the Newsletter  

CONTENTS SUPPORT DOGS - Help with a survey on epilepsy support dogs ONE MINUTE EXPLANATION - Norwegian series of epilepsy vidoes with fast lessions WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? - EMA Public Hearing on sodium valproate use in women EPIPICTO PROJECT - EU funded guide without words YOUTH ADULT SUMMIT - EpilepsyNext programme in Costa Rica WORLD DAY FOR EPILEPSY - Our plans for International Epilepsy Day MOB ASSAULT - The brutal reality of living with epilepsy in Malawi HEALTHCARE POST BREXIT - The future of health care in the EU   Download the Newsletter  

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